THUMBS UP

Impact of Oktoberfest remains positive

It is the second weekend of Oktoberfest in New Ulm. This weekend festivities will shift from downtown to Schell’s Brewery. The celebration is expected to bring thousands to New Ulm. In fact, it is one of the weekends that consistently fills up local lodging places. The demand for rental rooms is so high, some rooms are booked a year in advance. It is a good problem to have. The influx of tourism brings extra money into the community. In addition, New Ulm typically survives the two Oktoberfest weekends without an uptick in crime. New Ulm Police Department confirmed that even with more people attending the festival every year, people are mostly their best behavior without a dramatic spike in crime. That is an impressive feat for the community.

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Local support for banned book week

Last week was Banned Books Week. Libraries across the country celebrate books that face censorship. According to American Library Association (ALA) data,a censorship attempts are still high nationwide, but did decline within the last year. The good news is book banning is uncommon locally. Last year the state of Minnesota passed a statute making it nearly impossible for a book to be removed from a public library solely because of a viewpoint or message. In addition, there is significant local support for defending banned books. The New Ulm Public Library, Martin Luther College library and Lykke Books featured displays on banned books during the last week. It is a relief to see such strong support for the freedom to read.

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Gaza ceasefire

in effect

Israeli military are withdrawing forces from Gaza after a ceasefire agreement was reached. As part of the agreement, Hamas will start releasing hostages. Israel will also begin freeing Palestinian prisoners. Hopefully, the ceasefire will remain in place longterm, but for now, it looks like a war that began two years ago and resulted in numerous humanitarian crises, is coming to an end.